Brad Avakian
Bradley Paul "Brad" Avakian (born February 4, 1961) is the Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. He was appointed by Governor Ted Kulongoski on April 8, 2008 and subsequently elected statewide on November 4, 2008. While the Commissioner of Labor and Industries has been a nonpartisan position since 1995, Avakian previously served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly as a Democrat. Early life Born in Fresno, California, he is the son of Larry and Catherine Avakian, who now reside in Thousand Oaks, California. He is of Armenian descent. His grandfather was Avak Avakian, who came to America from Muş in 1898. His grandmother, Sirpoohi Antoyan, came from Bitlis in 1900.Brad Avakian for Oregon: Meet Brad, from bradavakian.com. Retrieved 2008-04-17. Avakian was raised in Washington County, Oregon.About Oregon's Labor Commissioner: Meet Commissioner Brad Avakian, from oregon.gov. Retrieved 2008-04-09. He was educated in Oregon’s public schools and earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Oregon State University in 1984 and a Juris doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1990. He helped create the YMCA's Juvenile Restitution Program while in law school. Avakian then worked as a civil rights attorney. He co-founded the Oregon League of Conservation Voters' (OLCV) Washington County chapter, and he was appointed by Governor Barbara Roberts to lead the State Board of Psychologist Examiners. He serves as Honorary Chair of the Oregon Business Leadership Network, a coalition of employers committed to hiring the disabled. Avakian lives in the Portland metropolitan area in the city of Beaverton. Political career Avakian ran for the Oregon State Senate in 1998, losing to incumbent Republican Tom Hartung. Avakian was elected to represent District 34, on Portland's west side, in the Oregon House of Representatives in 2002. He defeated Portland police officer John Scruggs, the only Republican to lose in Washington County that year, with 53 percent of the vote. Avakian was elected to the Oregon State Senate, representing District 17, in 2006. While in the legislature, Avakian was honored by both the Oregon AFL-CIO and the SEIU Local 503 for his work on behalf of working families. In the state Senate he chaired the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and in 2007 the OLCV named him the "Consensus Builder of the Year," recognizing him for passing an extension of the Oregon Bottle Bill and a renewable energy act. In 2008 he led a coalition to approve water supply development for rural communities. In July 2007, Avakian announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Oregon Secretary of State.Avakian jumps into secretary of state race, The Oregonian. July 31, 2007 He later withdrew from the race when he was appointed by governor Ted Kulongoski to be Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries in early 2008 after Dan Gardner announced his resignation. Gardner was the first Commissioner of Labor and Industries to leave mid-term for a new job. In April 2011, Avakian announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for Oregon's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. The seat was held by fellow Democrat David Wu, who resigned from Congress before the end of his term due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Avakian lost in the Democratic primary to Suzanne Bonamici, who succeeded him in both the Oregon House and Senate. References External links *Brad Avakian campaign web site *Voters' Pamphlet statement, 2006 Category:Living people Category:Oregon State Senators Category:Members of the Oregon House of Representatives Category:Oregon lawyers Category:Eagle Scouts Category:Oregon State University alumni Category:Lewis & Clark Law School alumni Category:People from Beaverton, Oregon Category:Oregon Commissioners of Labor and Industries Category:American people of Armenian descent Category:1961 births Category:Oregon Democrats